The Come Back
by aorangeinboston
Summary: As the BAU is called into another gruesome case involving stalking, fingers and marriage proposals. They're shocked when a part of their lives that they thought they lost makes a comeback.
1. The Rings

The Come Back

**Chapter 1**

*_DREAM_*She could hear the gunshots. It echoed one right after the other. Just as though it was happening right there and then, she saw the blood fall and then heard the faint thud of a falling body on the forest floor.

"I'm never leaving you." The man whispered

Another blast.

*_DREAM ENDS*_

Wynnie's chest was heaving. The video for some time replayed itself for many years blocking out much of her needed sleep, though now they only returned on a few nights a month. Jason said they would get better and she hoped so. Though Steven and her on their late nights could hear him moaning at times in his sleep with his own nightmares.

Though she just wanted to forget that day, maybe even just that period of her life, at twelve-and-a-half you're not supposed to watch someone kill your mother. Let alone watch somebody die. It faces someone who just entered the world face their own mortality and realize that not everything around them was permanent. Maybe that's why over the past three –half-years since the incident she had tried to kill herself twice.

Pushing up on her hands the now sixteen year old brunette made her way to the hall bathroom. The window inside showed that it was barely close to dawn it being pitch black outside. Turning the faucet and dipping her face into the cool water, she felt the sweat that had built up over the night from the recent nightmare drip away from her face. Drying her face she patted her hands dry running her hand over the scars she had from the two failed attempts. Besides for the four almost perfect scars on her arms there was a bunch of doodles and song lyrics on their, a few skulls could be seen along with a Alesana verse to "Curse of the Virgin Canvas".

_a mirror never lies  
they know, everybody knows  
do you not see what they see?  
a mirror never lies  
i see what they see  
everybody knows, everybody knows_

A floorboard in the hallway squeaked and Wynnie jumped and struggled to see who was standing in the dark, she saw Jason who was rubbing his eyes and looking at her.

"Everything all right?"

She gave a nod, "Yea, just couldn't sleep."

"Nightmare?"

"Psychic?"

"No, profiler."

The last response earned a half hearted chortle out of Wynnie who then started to walk by Jason who was softly smiling at her. Flicking the switch in the bathroom off as she left, she could her Jason returning to his room, while Wynnie started down the stairs and crossed the threshold into the foyer. Shuffling into the kitchen she looked into the pantry looking for honey nut cheerios, finding none she decided she would just suffer until Jason got up for the morning and made breakfast. Sitting down at the island she placed her head into her hands and sighed.

Her body was screaming to sleep though her mind was telling her she would see that day over and over. The wind chimes outside on the back porch clanged causing Wynnie's head to shoot up. She had lived in the large colonial revival her whole life and she still got nervous with every little noise. Turning to see what caused the random music she saw a package on the railing. 'F-ing creepy,' she thought as she made her way towards the door 'Perfect scene for a horror movie.'

Warily she opened the door looking out to see who might have left the parcel. It was wrapped in brown paper with brown string; it could have been any ordinary piece of mail. She heard the stairs creak as she re-entered the kitchen locking the door, revolving to see Jason walking into the kitchen directly to the pantry like she had done only minutes earlier.

"What's that?"

"I don't know it was on the porch when I got down here."

"Let me see."

"Why? Gonna go all CSI on me?" Wynnie waited for some joke answer but he was already putting the package on the granite island top Jason grabbed a knife from the drawer and cut the string and then slowly tore the brown paper off. Underneath was a white box, cautiously like Jason always was, he cut the tape holding the lid of the box down and took out a piece of paper. As his eyes scanned the page, his face fell slightly, jumping off her stool Wynnie looked over his shoulder to the note.

'_I show my love for you. Put them on to show your love to me…_

_Forever Yours'_

"What the hell." Wynnie gasped.

Jason continued as he was doing before. Slowly taking two velvet boxes out, he placed them on the counter and dramatically opened them. Wynnie's eyes went wide at what she saw and then her world went black.

* * *

JJ's heels clicked against the floor as she rushed into the conference room. As she dumped a stack of folders onto the table she reached for the screen's remote. Morgan and Prentiss's previous conversation had hushed while they saw JJ's grim face.

"Tumalo Creek, Oregon."

JJ pressed a button and the pictures of three girls appeared on the screen. They could have passed as sisters all with brunette, straight hair, blue eyes, young and pretty.

"Alexis Deville," JJ pointed to the girl on the far right. "Went missing in late April, four weeks later her body was found on her front porch's swing, missing her left ring finer."

At the mention of the missing finger the room of profilers was immediately grabbed by the piece of information. Garcia unconsciously began to play with her own ring finger while continuing to look at JJ.

"A week later after Alexis was found Jillian Roye was reported missing by her parents after she didn't come home after her morning run. Jillian was found in her family's tree house three weeks later by her younger brother, also missing her ring finger. Both showed signs of prolonged starvation and torture."

"Who's the third girl?" Rossi questioned while looking up from the files that had made their way around the table.

"Wynnie Palmer was left a package with both ….Alexis and Jillian's fingers a week ago. The fingers…" JJ paused swallowing "Alexis's finger had the engagement ring and Jillian's had the wedding band."

Prentiss's eyes widened with the new fact, JJ then flipped to the pictures of the fingers and the rings.

"The sheriffs concerned that now that's schools out it will give the UNSUB more opportunities to abduct another girl. Or try to take Wynnie."

"Has she been sent anything else?" inquired Morgan who was now stretching back in his chair.

"Her guardian hasn't turned anything else over."

Hotch then spoke up, "We're taking it." The team nodded knowing that something regrettable would take place if they didn't take it.

"Garcia, find any connections between the three girls and look into their family history." Hotch ordered as they started to stand "We'll go up in thirty. JJ, tell them were coming."

As Hotch and followed by Rossi left. Reid looked at the pictures again which sent a shudder down his back. Grabbing his bag he was the last of the team to leave.

_

* * *

so im rewritting the story, just fixing parts that I'm not happy with and such. So check it out and tell me what you think._

_~gnome_


	2. Unlikely Situation

The Come Back

Chapter 2

Garcia was rapidly typing away as she searched through the past 16 years of Alexis Deville's and Jillian Roye's lives. Track team, Swim team, honors student, high honors student. Seemingly great kids besides the fact that they managed to get themselves caught at a house party when they were both freshmen. Though the lovely "Bride to be" to some creep had a much different story.

Since 2003 Wynnie had been in and out of various therapy groups for depression in the tri-county area. During the fall of 2006 her mother and stepfather were found dead in the woods behind their home after two days of searching for them. Wynnie was found a few hundred yards away behind a tree, while her older brother was away at a college. Her mother was shot twice, once in the back and once in the heart. Her stepfather had one fatal gun shot to the head. Locals had deemed it a murder, suicide. The stepfather had been acting suspiciously as told by the townsfolk of Tumalo Creek. After the funerals Wynnie was placed in a foster home nearby. On February 16th 2007 she was brought into a local emergency room for severe blood loss and attempted suicide. Hmmm…. This was weird. The two victim's were Wynnie's complete polar opposite; social, outgoing, and defiantly not shy by the looks of the pictures they had on _facebook_.

And since the fourth grade Wynnie hadn't gone to school with the two victims, after she had been in enrolled in a therapeutic school; the victim's and Wynnie's paths rarely crossed, only a few times when they were buying something at the same time in a drug store or supermarket.

Later in the summer of 2007 Wynnie was removed from the foster care system and guardianship was transferred to her half brother Steven, but Wynnie lived with Steven's biological father in their old house in Tumalo Creek.

Typing away once again Garcia then dug deeper into Wynnie's past. Later in June 2008 she almost succeeded in her second attempt at suicide, and after 5 days in the hospital was moved to the psychiatric unit until the end of August. When she had returned home she was legally adopted by Steven's father, a one…

Reading over the line she blinked and read it again.

'No.' as she reread and reread the name her heart paused in mid beat. "No they did not just say that" Garcia yelled, "it can't be him, no, no friggin' way!"

Slamming her finger onto her phones keypad Garcia dialed the familiar number of Derek Morgan.

* * *

Sitting in the warm June sun on the roof outside of window, Wynnie wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them to her chest. Swallowing a bit of her caffeine enriched ice coffee; well it wasn't technically ice coffee anymore more of the water of the ice and some of the tan cream, Wynnie though still fought to stay awake. How did Jason do it back then? Working and solving cases that could last weeks at a time, all while running on just liquid fuel. 'God,' she thought 'No wonder he goes to bed so early. Or maybe all old people are like that?'

"Wynnie?" She turned to her window at the sound of her name

"Wynnie?"

"Coming, I'll be there in just a…" While attempting to climb in her window she had successfully falling onto the floor and probably made the biggest banging noise ever.

Rushing in Jason looked to the floor where the noise had originated. She could see a few new gray hairs on his head all from the last two months.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just doing some calisthenics." She gasped and then started to do the cheesy workout moves she always saw women dawned in 90's workout gear with a "serene" beach sunrise behind them.

"Then why is the window's screen open? And…"

"Well I just thought it would allow more air to come in."

"That's also why the five dollar ice coffee I bought you is strewn across the roof."

"Well." She turned to look at the guilty crime scene and sure enough the coffee was now spreading a sheet of tan liquid.

"There's a storm coming in. It'll clean it."

Smiling she took a step back to close her window's screen and then faced Jason.

"Why did you come up originally?"

"I just wanted to tell you that they called some outside forces for the…" he didn't know how to put it "Incidents."

"Oh." Wynnie left her mouth in an "o" shape

"And dinner is going to be ready soon."

"Yup, what is it?"

"Just some chicken caeser salad."

"Great. I'll be down in a minute."

"Good." He smiled shyly and then shut her door, now posters for Green Day, We the Kings, and All American Rejects faced her. Grabbing a gray sweater off of her desk chair as an ominous wind blew in with gray clouds; Wynnie closed her window until there was only a quarter left of it open. Reopening the door Wynnie lazily slapped her feet down onto the hardwood stairs and continued the beat as she made her way into the kitchen.

It felt weird being in there again. Of course for a day or two it was full of cops and the local "CSI" if that's what you could call them. Though other wise for the last four days she had tried her hardest to stay away from the counter where she saw the fingers in the velvet ring boxes.

Shuddering at the memory she hugged her arms closer to her chest and sat at her usual bar stool. Jason was dividing up the salad onto both plates and then artfully crunched pepper onto them.

The food once placed in front of her was shoveled into her mouth. And in only ten minutes of silent eating from the two, Wynnie had a clean plate in front of her. Looking at her Jason studied her as she stared of into space, then abruptly she turned to him.

"Have you've ever seen something like this?"

"A few, but nothing exactly like it."

"So not many people are proposed to like this?"

"Thank god no, so many people would be missing their fingers." He laughed slightly and Wynnie smiled.

"But this un… I probably shouldn't tell you this."

"Why, I want to know."

"It's not good to hear."

"Will you know the people they're sending?"

"Maybe."

"Are we going to be able to trust them?"

"Why would you ask?"

"Well…"

"Wynnie, I'm still here and they're going to do their best to catch this guy and make him stop."

"Okay."

"Why don't you clean up and I'll put _Guitar Hero _on."

"Oh god." She giggled.

"I'll beat you this time."

"Love to see you try old timer." She laughed as Jason left and she took the two cleared plates away and wiped the counter. Pausing where the box had been Wynnie replayed that morning in her head. A nightmare had woken her up, she couldn't go back to sleep so she went downstairs, no she first went to the bathroom and she ran into Jason, then she went looking for cheerios. Then there was the box.

"Wynnie, you coming?"

"Yup. Here I am." She jogged into the den where the Wii was now hooked up to the TV and Jason was attempting to pick the easy category. 'This was going to be an easy win,' smirking to herself she moved the mini joy stick on the Wii stick down and picked Dirty Little Secret.


	3. Something Learned

_so hey sorry for like the lack of updates but here are like the next couple of chapters and also read and review. also check out my other fic for Bones, its called The Booth in the Birch. i put alot of time into getting it pretty good even though im like four chapters in._

_~meg_

* * *

"Hey pretty lady." Morgan cooed as he picked up his phone while sitting on the jet that was currently heading to rural Oregon.

"Hiya Hunky, but right now the flirting is going to have to wait 'cause I've got big news. But first the little stuff."

"Any connection between Wynnie and the two victims?" Hotch asked looking at the phone that was now in the middle of the table on speaker.

"Well until the fourth grade they went to the same community school all in different classes though, and then Wynnie was enrolled in a therapeutic school for depression.

"When was this?" Reid asked crossing his leg and leaning forward intently staring at the phone

"2003, and until then only Jillian and Alexis are in the same school. But those two compared to Wynnie are like polar opposites. They're outgoing, social, defiantly not shy from their _facebook_ pictures and have joined plenty of sports. While Wynnie has been brought into the ER twice for attempted suicide after her parents died." Garcia spouted the information and leaned back in her chair waiting for the right moment to drop the A- bomb of gossip onto her lovely team.

"How did they die?" Hotch asked, he had looked up hearing this bit of information

"It was deemed a murder suicide in 2006 by the lovely locals, step-father killed mom, Wynnie was found a couple of yards away from the bodies two days after they went missing.." Breathing in Garcia felt the oxygen flowing through her veins once again and then continued.

"Wynnie in the beginning of 2007 and the summer of 2008 attempted suicide. Both times losing a lot of blood, and after the 2008 incident was committed into the psychiatric unit for the remainder of the summer until she was discharged. Her guardian then adopted her and now home schools at their current address."

"Who's the guardian?" Morgan inquired

"Well…" Garcia paused trying to find the words to tell the team.

"Who is it Garcia?" Emily asked giving a look to the phone

"It's Jason Gideon."

The awkward silence that followed was immaculate. Each team member, subtracting Rossi, was running through their own thoughts.

'He abandoned us and then goes gets a kid.' Was Morgan repetitive thought

'Is it his daughter? They said that the step-father killed the mother. Wynnie is his kid? Gideon has a kid.' Reid ran through each thing he knew about the case and Gideon who never ever ever mentioned kids of any kid belonging to him.

'When did Gideon find her?' Hotch pondered

'Wow, Gideon has a teenager, wonder how that works.' Emily inwardly chuckled knowing that Gideon could sometimes be a hard ass but he had his sweet moments.

The only sound was the soft rumble of the jet engines as it continued towards the BAU's runaway leader.

* * *

Wynnie rarely ever got a full night of sleep, and this one like the past week since they found the fingers was interrupted by the constant reruns of fingers dancing the can can with wedding rings as skirts. At least she had forgotten the original thing that had given her nightmares. Starting down the stairs she found her way into the den where Jason was sitting reading a book. Looking up he saw his ward, Wynnie, his surrogate daughter. He remembered when he first met her. She was still as skinny as a rail but her hair had found its way back from the dyed raven black to its natural auburn color, just like her mothers. Wynnie's eyes found Jason's and he quickly dropped his book and leapt up noticing tears that had started running down her face.

"Hey Wynn what are you doing?" He pulled her into a hug; she pulled her arms up to her chest and leaned against his torso.

"Why me?"

"What?"

"I don't talk to people; I rarely make communication with people. And this god damn idiot is choosing me to kill for. I knew those girls from when I was little Jason. I didn't play with them but I still have that class picture in my room."

"You're scared; you so have the right to be scared about this."

"I'm not just scared, I'm responsible for this." Jason pushed Wynnie back a bit and brought her face to meet his.

"This is none of your fault he chooses to do this, and just because he's taunting you does not mean it's your fault. You're a victim just as much as Jillian and Alexis are."

"I just want him to choose someone else."

"Nobody would want to be in your position. But you're not alone Wynn, I'm here and Steven will be back soon and we got people who are coming to solve this."

"You aren't going to leave?" She looked up at him; he could see the hurt in her eyes. Her biological father had left her; her step-father left her and dragged her mother and Steven along.

"Wynn, were would I go if I left you."

"But you left your team back in Virginia. And you didn't know you would end up here when you did. You could decide to go Tim-buck-too if you leave."

"Wynnifred Louise Palmer, I would never leave you and never will, ever," he once again had to physically bring her head to meet his eyes with hers "I will always be here for you and it would break my heart if I ever did. And when I left the BAU it was completely different then this."

"But this is turning exactly into one of those cases…"

"And that's why they called people to help out on this case, so that it will end. For good; believe me?"

"Sorta."

"What do you mean sorta Wynn?" He smiled when she looked up at him

"I believe you." She smiled back.

"Want to try to go to sleep or find something on TV?"

"TV duh." She rolled her eyes as she brought a hand to her wet cheeks

"You do believe me?"

"Yeah, of course."


	4. Meeting and Profiling

**The Come Back**

**Chapter 4**

The SUV stopped just outside of the rural sheriffs office each member had their minds in a million other places still coping with the shock that they might see Jason Gideon after three years.

The Team stepped into the bullpen of the small office the team and went into their well practiced routine, Rossi watching over the younger agents, Hotch and JJ walking with the Sheriff into his office briefing him on what would be happening, Morgan and Prentiss clearing a spot for the team to set up and Reid multi-tasking by putting up a geographical profile map and setting up connection up with Garcia. After a brief discussion with the two federal agents the Sheriff looked more sheepish than before and in an emotionless manor opened the door for Hotch and JJ, they headed over to the BAU members while the sheriff returned to his side of the ring with the rest of the locals team.

"He's scared about the kids in the community." JJ commented to no one in particular.

The team wanted to stay away from the obvious for as long as they could, finally being reunited with Gideon after so long could go in two directions, incredibly well or extravagantly bad.

"Well Prentiss and JJ go and talk to the victim's families. Rossi and Morgan can stay and talk to the locals and get as much information on potential suspects in the area. Reid and I will go talk to Wynnie Palmer. If anyone thinks they caught something get Garcia on it. Let's go." Hotch commanded and the group soon began to disperse.

Reid was nervous about seeing Gideon. It had been beyond a long time and he just moved on and took in some suicidal kid. 'He said he didn't know if he could handle stuff like this. Was he going to run away from this like he did the BAU?' Reid's current thoughts could easily be read on his face by the profilers and even the locals. They all knew that he was apprehensive. He didn't notice Hotch who started heading towards the main door of the bullpen.

"Reid… Reid!" he yelled

"Sorry." Reid yelped

Making their way to one of the SUVs the team had arrived in Reid and Hotch climbed in. While Reid waited for Hotch to turn the keys into the ignition Hotch looked ahead for a few seconds before turning to the younger man.

"You're nervous about seeing Gideon."

"We're not even sure that it's the same…"

"Reid, Garcia told us that it was him the one who retired from the BAU, the same one who had a mental breakdown after he sent six people into a condemned building. It's the same Gideon that I discussed how much stuff you would be able to fit in your head by the time your 50 on your 25th birthday," he took a breath and looked out the window for a moment, "God Reid, he needs our help and we've got to do our best to go and help him. He left because he had to, Reid and there's no other reason besides that. It wasn't because he wasn't proud of you or didn't trust you; damn he left that letter leaving the only clues about where he was going addressed to you! And now he's helping this girl because she needs help like he helped you, he made you the profiler that you are."

"I understand sir."

"I'm sorry I went off, but we have to keep our personal feelings out of this one. If

not we could screw this case up."

"I'll try to."

"Good." Hotch turned the keys and they slowly started off to the Palmer-Gideon household. After a few minutes of Reid going over what Hotch had said to him he finally broke the silence.

"Will she be able to handle this?"

"Who?"

"Wynnie."

"I don't know."

"This could send her over the edge again."

"She has a support system this time."

Reid was silent thinking over what Hotch was implying.

"She'll have to get comfortable with us ."

"Well, not everybody is used to having a team of FBI agents tear their life apart when they're being sent body parts as part of their engagement." Reid responded sarcastically.

"Well we're staying there for her protection."

"Oh… you mean us?" Reid gulped and turned to Hotch, the last time he stayed in a victim's house it led him to his father. What part of his past would he dig up while sleeping on this couch?

"No you and Morgan, he's coming after they debrief with the locals about any suspects or possible leads." Looking over he saw the fear in the younger man's face, "Reid."

"Yeah?"

"Just don't try to make it awkward. Just act like well… you I guess." A smile slipped out on to his lips.

"I'll try."

* * *

Swinging on the tire swing Wynnie felt the dry humidity that was left after the previous days thunder storm hit her. She was on the edge of the woods on a grassy patch near where the driveway meets the dirt road that lead to the house. For the past few hours she had been sitting on the swing, waiting patiently for the people that Jason put his whole trust into. Looking down at her i-pod she shuffled through the albums until one of her tops came into view. Tapping the touch screen lightly "Why Worry" came into her eardrums, humming along to the lyrics she smiled a bit.

_I worry  
__I wonder all the time  
__Why worry?  
__Its killing me  
__Forget about it  
_

_I whisper  
_"_Remember what she did  
__Don't miss her"  
__Set me free  
__She won't allow it_

"_Angry and gone  
__And the list goes on and on  
__If its love I will defer  
__I'm being lost being with her  
__I can't move on  
__I can't take…."_

The chorus was her favorite part and she started singing a bit doing what she would call 'If I was ever in a music video as the crazy lead singer hair toss' and she then heard the crunch of gravel which was getting closer, and closer. Looking up through her disheveled hair she saw the stereotypical "FBI" SUV driving in. A cookie cutter agent and tall nerdy man sat in the front row. Her cheeks burning bright Wynnie stared as they drove by her, the younger man catching her stare for a moment and then returned to looking forward. Deciding it was in her best interest to keep herself from having an anxiety attack in front of two strangers, well to her anyways; she continued listening to the album and started a rhythm in her swinging. Soon she was traveling higher and higher, a little ways passed where she had once gotten flung off when she was six and then promptly broke her wrist in the process of landing; or more specifically landing on her wrist.

Reflexively she felt the now healed wrist. It was her left one, the one she had twice cut the deepest of her supposed to be two final scratches. Losing balance she caught herself with the rope the led to the seat that was between her legs and then up to a large and ancient tree branch. Twisting the rope slightly she got a better view of the two agents that had arrived. Only a minute earlier when their was a small break in the middle of songs she had heard two car doors opening and then closing and the start of walking on gravel. They had now reached the door and as she spun and then whooshed by the tree, which its trunk rudely blocked her view of what was happening. Once again propelled forward by gravity Wynnie was caught staring at the two agents by the younger one. He looked familiar. 'Wow! That's what's his name? Jason non stop talked about him for like two months, he was a doctor or something, not the medical kind but the PhD. What was it in again? Math and some other nerdy things.' Being brought back again not noticing that she was losing her momentum it popped in her head, 'Spencer! Reid! Spencer Reid! Well formally Doctor Spencer Reid.'

Once again being able to see she saw the older one knocking on the screen door. And them standing waiting for Jason to answer, 'This must be so awkward for both Jason and them' She thought, all she knew about Jason leaving the Bureau was that he left his credentials, gun and a letter addressed to the Spencer dude.

The two profilers stood there, waiting. Waiting for their once leader to open the door and invite them in from the surprising and random heat wave.

"Coming!" called a far off male voice.

'This could be someone else. Not Gideon, not the man you looked up to.'

Hearing a screen door slam, a minute of silence and then hurried footsteps. 'They're here. Hold yourself together Gideon. It could be one of the alternate teams they have.' No, he had the gut feeling that they had sent his previous team. 'I wonder how big Jack has gotten? Or how long is Spencer's hair now? Was Morgan tied down yet? JJ with the nice man from New Orleans they had met on a case, I had a feeling that those two would be getting together. Is Prentiss closed off still and had a mental break down because of it? What color does Garcia have in her hair now?' Pausing in the hallway just out of sight the front door, he took two big breaths and got the oxygen going through him. 'Do they still blame me for all those lost?'

Jason Gideon put on a smile seeing who was at his front door. Rushing over he opened the door.

"Jason." Hotch smiled and stuck out his hand.

"Aaron." Ignoring the hand Jason pulled the man into a surprise hug

Reid stood there awkwardly wondering self consciously if Gideon was going to hug him also, Spencer not really being a touchy-feely sort of guy.

"Spencer." Gideon smiled

"Hey Gideon."

"Sorry about that chess game." For a moment Reid thought he was going to cry, 'Why the hell would you bring that up! The day you abandoned us, me especially!' Though he hid what he was screaming on the inside.

"It's fine."

Gideon then pulled him into a hug, for some reason he felt himself put his arms around the man he respected since he was barely out of the "college age".

"I'm sure you're here to talk to Wynn?" Gideon reluctantly pulled out of the hug when he felt Spencer start to become rigid slightly. The two men turned to see the girl the saw when they originally entered the property look over from her spot on the tire swing.

"Yea, we also wanted to talk to you to Gideon."

"Of course I remember protocol." Jason's attempt at the joke was only met with a small chuckle from Reid and a tight mouthed smile from Hotch, which Jason noticed as he motioned for them to come into the house. Moving towards the door he took a step out and leaned his head out.

"Wynn! Come in for a couple of minutes."

He was answered with an eye roll and Wynnie slowly walking across the yard towards the house. Jason knew that he was putting Wynnie in a tough situation. To talk and create a high anxiety environment for the remainder of the case and risk another attempt at self harm.

"Kitchens this way."

Jason limply put an arm in the direction of the hallway he had come from only minutes before. His two ex-colleagues walked ahead of him as they ventured into an airy country style modern kitchen. They recognized the counter where the box had been opened and the fingers discovered from crime scene photos. Reid chose a bar stool at the island to sit on as Hotch leaned against a counter to the right of Reid. Jason entered the kitchen and they could here some soft thuds and then slapping of bare feet on the tile floor. The notorious Wynnie Palmer entered the kitchen; up close she was much different from the picture in their files. She had grown and her features where striking under a blanket of freckles. The picture was from early 2008, almost a year after her first suicide attempt, her hair then was a raven black but now auburn with a few light streaks of blonde showing through, obviously from the summer sun. Wynnie was extravagantly tall around 5'7" with long legs and arms which where covered in artfully little doodles and song lyrics.

'With a history of self harm she draws on the areas that she wishes to harm, giving her relief that she is doing something to that area that will leave a mark, for a short time.' Reid spouted in his head as he started to profile her automatically. Four pink scars could be seen under the drawings on her wrists. The drawings seemed to draw attention to the scarred area. Her clothes fit the season and the heat wave, shorts that showed her legs and a short sleeve top that allowed her access to her wrists.

Wynnie noticed Spencer glancing at her wrists and she crossed her arms across her chest looking to her face Reid let a small blush grow on his cheeks as he looked away to the counter where, they had found, the nice little package that brought Jason's old team here and caused her so much apprehension. Seeing an empty counter she slapped her feet over to it and jumped onto it without much effort and a lot of grace. 'She could have been a dancer.' Reid thought and then looked to Hotch who was also looking at Wynnie.

"Guys want coffee?" Jason asked after feeling the tension build after Wynnie's entrance.

"Sure." Both Hotch and Reid said

"Black for you Aaron and I'll leave the sugar out for you Spencer." He smiled.

Reid looked to the man and was amazed he remembered that about him, some random and dumb detail that the whole team knew, but could easily be forgotten if not thought about.

"So Gideon have you told Wynnie why we're here?" Hotch asked.

"To protect me." said a small and cracked voice, which brought her eyes up to meet Hotch's.

"Yeah, we're also here to catch the UNSUB or the Unknown…" Reid was cut off before he could finish.

"Subject, I know I kind of live with an ex-profiler dude thing man." She said giving a small smile towards Reid

"Such an educated sentence there Wynn."

"Well, I learned from the bestest professor." She giggled a bit.

Hotch and Reid smiled a bit. Another awkward silence fell over the group. A ring from Reid's phone saved them from the overwhelming silence. Standing up and then in a much uncoordinated fashion stumbled, mumbled an "excuse me" and then went out onto the back porch.

"Reid."

"So how's our G-man?"

"Do you mean me…"

"No the other person who ran away from the BAU and was called by his last name which began with a G, Gideon yes! God for a genius sometimes Reid… So how is he?"

"He has a kid."

"Well she's biologically not his."

"But you can tell Garcia."

"Tell what?"

"He loves being here with her."


	5. Something to Go On

**The Come Back**

**Chapter 5**

"Is there anyone in the town that you can think of that would be able to do this?" Rossi asked while perched halfway on a desk

"No, everyone's pretty spread out and most of them hunt, but no one seems to stick out and would be able to hurt those girls. The only one that I can think of doesn't know Wynnie."

"How do you know?" Morgan stared at the man wondering if he was stupid, the community had less than 3000 people in it of course everyone knew each other, even an anti-social individual.

"Well he moved here in 2003 and would have been in high school, he graduated the same year as her brother." A deputy answered.

"Wynnie's brother could have known him."

"Well…"

"So who is he?" Rossi asked feeling that

"Kent Norris."

"I'll be right back," Morgan uncrossed his folded arms and grabbed his phone from its holster on his belt; he made his way across the room. He pressed the speed dial for Garcia and waited for her to pick up.

* * *

"You've reached the most highest of the awesomest in all of the land, what's your order?" Garcia answered

"Well I would like a large order of information on a Kent Norris and a side order of any murders or suspicious assaults since 2003 in the tri-county area." He cooed going along with her joke.

"Would you like to super size that sir?" back at the BAU building in Quantico Garcia sat twirling a brightly colored pen.

"Always with you baby girl." He laughed.

"Aw… your total will be a hug when you get back."

"I'll give you a tip too pretty girl."

"Anything else off of the menu gorgeous?"

"Nah, I'm good for now."

"Sienara."

"Adios."

* * *

JJ and Prentiss where sitting across from Jillian Roye's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Roye had just gone over finding their daughter's body. The two agents where waiting for the dead girls mother to gain her composure for more questions. The woman finally looked up. She seemed to have lost any strength that she previously seemed to contain, her eyes weary and dull with tears and her shoulders sulking against her husband who currently showed no emotion.

"Do you know if Jillian was hanging out with any new people lately?"

Mr. Roye responded "She had started driving into town more after she got her car fixed. I saw her hanging around Mickey's Motors lately."

"Is there any reason why she would be spending time around there?" Prentiss asked

"She had gotten her car fixed there a few months ago." The distressed woman answered.

"Though she was hanging around with that Norris boy, she didn't even have her car with her the last time she was there." Mr. Roye commented

"Who's the Norris boy?" JJ asked her mind thinking this could be the break they so desperately wanted.

"Kent Norris," the father began "He hanged around with our son until he went to college. Kent stayed in town with his parents working at the repair shop. I never really like him, even when he was a kid he looked at Jilly funny."

"What do you mean 'funny'?" Prentiss said intrigued, 'A suspect finally.' She thought

"Well the way he looked at her was the way he should have looked at a girl his own age, not a 13 year old girl."

"Excuse me for a moment."

"Of course Agent Prentiss." The woman looked up nervously at the agent who rose and then walked out onto the front porch.

* * *

Like Morgan she pressed speed dial and waited for the tech to answer.

"The most wonderful fairy godmother Garcia presiding what shall I grant to you?"

"Garcia, I need you to get me some information on a Kent Norris." She stood waiting as she heard a sigh.

"I already got that for Mr. Hunky."

"Wait Morgan already got his name?" everyone knew the pet names Garcia had for Morgan.

"Yeah, I faxed the info to the sheriffs; this kid hasn't been on the radar since Jillian Roye went missing."

"Thanks Garcia."

The woman sighed; they might just have their man.

* * *

They had been there for little over three hours. A small conversation built between Jason and Hotch. Reid only joining only every few minutes and Wynnie retreating to the den with her i-pod, Jason's eyes followed her movements. The clear compassion for her in his eyes, though he attempted to hide it by asking questions about Jack. He tried to get away from the topic of Haley knowing what had happened to her with the Reaper, the news traveled to him through the grapevine of his fellow retired FBI comrades who he had started contacting after moving in with Wynnie.

"When did you meet her Jason?" Aaron asked in his straightforward manor

"I found Steven awhile after I left. He asked if I wanted to stay with him for awhile until I figure out what I wanted to do." He paused looking over at Reid and then turning his gaze absent mindedly to a cupboard. "It was a few months before they're stepfather, well… Me and Steven started talking again, I met Wynnie a few times before, but she was just well Wynnie. After their funerals I stayed in town. When Wynnie made her first attempt I started asking around if I could get custody. When I did I just did what normal parents, I guess." Jason let out a small chuckle

"Woke her up, made her lunch, took her to school, brought her everywhere, tried to talk to her. Started calling her Pooh, because her names Wynnie…"

"Like the book." Reid stated looking up to Jason.

"You of course make that connection Spencer. She hated it though, she may be Wynnie but like every other teenager she hates those nicknames." He laughed

The three men laughed softly. They were startled when they heard a ringing, Hotch and Reid grabbing for their phones. Hotch being the winner lifted his phone to read the caller and then stepped outside to where Reid had taken his call earlier. Reid and Gideon stayed in the silence until the older man continued.

"I found her when she tried to do it again," his tone grew serious "She was sitting up in the bathroom in the middle of the night. I got up; there was just this feeling that something was wrong. We had thought that she was getting better. She was talking to a few kids at school every once in a while and her therapist said that drawing on herself was helping take some of the pressure of not cutting away. Though when I saw her sitting on the floor, she … She just reeked in this self guilt, she blamed herself for everything and wanted to stop feeling anything. I took her to the ER and the whole way there she just kept saying that she was sorry. She hated being in there after they stabilized her. She wouldn't talk to anyone but me or Steven and they wouldn't let her leave until she did. So one day she told them how much she hated the psychiatrist and that she realized that everything that happened wasn't her fault but she still felt like it was. When they told me, I said 'If that isn't talking for you, you'll never get a truer statement from her.'"

"Gideon" Reid started.

"I know; she's smart and I should listen to what she said. And I did, I stopped throwing myself a pity party and started doing what I do. Helping people, I'm taking care of this girl who I have no connection to other than her sharing some of my son's DNA and I'm helping her."

"Jason," Hotch said standing in the doorway.

Both of them turned to the speaker.

"I have to get back to the station but Reid is going to stay here and then Morgan is going to join you guys later tonight. We think we might have a lead."

"Yeah, go. If you guys want a better place to meet than the sheriff's station come here."

"We'll see Jason. Reid," he turned his gaze to him.

"Yes,"

"Try to start a geographical profile here."

"Yes sir."

"I'll see you later Jason."

"Bye Aaron."

Hotch left the two men and walked to the foyer and out to the SUV.

"I got a map of the area in the den."

"Thanks." Reid stood and followed Jason into the den. Wynnie was sitting upside down at an angle watching a program on the TV. Jason had started going through a drawer full of papers. Reid watched the girl as she stared at the screen.

"Watching someone like that can be slightly sinister, Dr. Reid," Wynnie said a few minutes later "I have some pushpins if you want to use them for the geographical profile." She offered while still staring at the screen

"That would be great, thanks." He replied shyly

She stood up and walked out of the room. Jason had watched the two for a while. He had found the map minutes earlier but watched Spencer observe the young girl. He smiled.

"You're lucky."

"What?"

"It took two and a half weeks to get her to say that many words to me."

"Oh."

"Here's the map."

"Thanks."

"Welcome."

"Here." Wynnie had returned with a clear box of colorful neon tacks.

"I like the skeleton."

"What?"

"The one on your arm."

"Oh, thanks I guess."

"It's there because when you move you're wrist his arm waves."

"What? Let me see." Jason grabbed for the girls arm with the enthusiasm of a schoolboy. "Move your hand." Wynnie followed the man's instructions and moved her hand slightly a small smile growing on her face. "When did you come up with this?"

"After we learned about muscles in anatomy." She answered in an unreadable tone

The trio stood in silence. Wynnie then left and a few moments later the men heard the screen door close.


End file.
